There’s a wonderful thing that happens when I’m headed home from the Feast of Tabernacles with a van load of young adults who squeezed as much “fun” into the week as humanly possible. Of course, they are all asleep - kind of a fulfillment of “We can sleep on the train.” So I’m left with 750 miles of driving, mile after mile of mostly interstate.
The first thing I had to do was sing all of the songs that were stuck in my head from a week of praising God within a large group of God’s people. Some of them, I had to sing a couple of times. 😀 I rejoiced in the baptism of my nephew!!! Then I thought about the conversations I had had, along with a regret that there was not more time. So many things unsaid. So many conversations that could have been. Then I jumped to reviewing the messages I heard.
It’s always interesting to me how messages seem to coalesce. Perhaps someone else would have a different impression overall, but my take-away was the emphasis on becoming vulnerable, submissive, and humble before God, trusting Him regardless of what happens - because things don’t just happen. My life is in the hands of my God who is molding me into the image of Jesus Christ. I may think His goal is to make me look like a golden cup; in reality, He wants me moldable like a clay vessel. In the end, I need to trust Him - fully, whole-heartedly - because we live in an increasingly ungodly world.
We shouldn’t be surprised that there are oppositions against us. We are coming to expect it more and more from society; how much more division can there be in our country before we have all-out civil war? But what can surprise us are the subtle attacks from Satan to divide families and friends. He knows that a three-fold cord is not easily broken. He knows that a house divided against itself cannot stand. He also knows his time is short. Thus his ferocity against God’s people is increasing. Satan throws his lies against us with devious intent.
We have to put on the full armor of God. We have to encourage one another as we see the Day approaching. We have to live by faith, exhorting each other to keep our eyes focused on our Savior, not on the waves around us. We have to seek the truth, repudiating the lies, relying on God’s Word to give us light to navigate the mire. We walk as ambassadors of Christ, confessing with our actions that God is good and trustworthy and worthy of praise. This life isn’t just about us; it’s about be a living sacrifice to the glory and honor of God. Although we make it our aim to live quiet lives in harmony with those around us, we also do not shrink back from declaring the good news of the kingdom as God sets opportunity before us. We are not just marking time; we are occupying until He comes, doing the tasks that He sets before us as good and profitable servants.
I thoroughly enjoyed the Feast of Tabernacles this year. I loved the music and the messages. I loved the conversations. I loved rehearsing the family reunion that we’ll have when Jesus returns. I loved seeing people I haven’t seen, in some cases, for years. I love the memories that pop up because of the history of feasting with God’s family. And I love the encouragement gained - not a new message, but the same encouragement packaged in different words to make it stick again. Praise God for His Feast days. Praise God for miles of uninterrupted meditation time to taste it all on my tongue and savor it fully.
So. What did you bring home from the Feast?
The first thing I had to do was sing all of the songs that were stuck in my head from a week of praising God within a large group of God’s people. Some of them, I had to sing a couple of times. 😀 I rejoiced in the baptism of my nephew!!! Then I thought about the conversations I had had, along with a regret that there was not more time. So many things unsaid. So many conversations that could have been. Then I jumped to reviewing the messages I heard.
It’s always interesting to me how messages seem to coalesce. Perhaps someone else would have a different impression overall, but my take-away was the emphasis on becoming vulnerable, submissive, and humble before God, trusting Him regardless of what happens - because things don’t just happen. My life is in the hands of my God who is molding me into the image of Jesus Christ. I may think His goal is to make me look like a golden cup; in reality, He wants me moldable like a clay vessel. In the end, I need to trust Him - fully, whole-heartedly - because we live in an increasingly ungodly world.
We shouldn’t be surprised that there are oppositions against us. We are coming to expect it more and more from society; how much more division can there be in our country before we have all-out civil war? But what can surprise us are the subtle attacks from Satan to divide families and friends. He knows that a three-fold cord is not easily broken. He knows that a house divided against itself cannot stand. He also knows his time is short. Thus his ferocity against God’s people is increasing. Satan throws his lies against us with devious intent.
We have to put on the full armor of God. We have to encourage one another as we see the Day approaching. We have to live by faith, exhorting each other to keep our eyes focused on our Savior, not on the waves around us. We have to seek the truth, repudiating the lies, relying on God’s Word to give us light to navigate the mire. We walk as ambassadors of Christ, confessing with our actions that God is good and trustworthy and worthy of praise. This life isn’t just about us; it’s about be a living sacrifice to the glory and honor of God. Although we make it our aim to live quiet lives in harmony with those around us, we also do not shrink back from declaring the good news of the kingdom as God sets opportunity before us. We are not just marking time; we are occupying until He comes, doing the tasks that He sets before us as good and profitable servants.
I thoroughly enjoyed the Feast of Tabernacles this year. I loved the music and the messages. I loved the conversations. I loved rehearsing the family reunion that we’ll have when Jesus returns. I loved seeing people I haven’t seen, in some cases, for years. I love the memories that pop up because of the history of feasting with God’s family. And I love the encouragement gained - not a new message, but the same encouragement packaged in different words to make it stick again. Praise God for His Feast days. Praise God for miles of uninterrupted meditation time to taste it all on my tongue and savor it fully.
So. What did you bring home from the Feast?
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